


More precious than red diamonds

by evelitan



Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: Decadence, F/F, Party, Suggestive language, party with alcohol, rich people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:40:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evelitan/pseuds/evelitan
Summary: Isabella invited Charlotte to the Pleasure Gardens party and they fluff, no huge plot to be honest just some… action. Modern AU
Relationships: Isabella Fitzwilliam/Charlotte Wells
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	More precious than red diamonds

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, guys, I’m not religious but after writing that I feel like I need to go to a confession! This is the very first time I’m writing something like that and I was wondering for a very long time if I should post it or not. I hope you like it and I’ll definitely appreciate your kudos and comments. For fairness sake, I do not own these characters, it’s a modern-day au and it’s completely based on my imagination. 
> 
> I recommend you listening to this while reading this fic just to imagine the set up better: Beyoncé - Partition BASS BOOSTED  
> and of course the Pleasure Gardens by Rael Jones  
> The perfume Isabella wear is CLIVE CHRISTIAN NO. 1 IMPERIAL MAJESTY PERFUME, which is truly divine.

You know the party is going to be good when you start feeling the music before you even hear its notes and you _know_ that you’re going to have a damn good time when you step through the elevator door and find yourself stepping on black marble floors that can almost reflect your face… And you know the party is going to be _perfect_ when you see that one person in the crowd that makes your head spin with just a small smile on their face…

Charlotte Wells dedicated the better part of her day getting ready for tonight, it was the last night of the summer and anyone who was anyone knew about the so-called “Pleasure Gardens” party that was held to commemorate the occasion. The building itself was in fact on the street named “High Gardens” but that only helped with the wink to the original celebration from a couple of centuries ago.

Isabella Fitzwilliam, well technically, _Lady_ Isabella Fitzwilliam and her brother Harcourt were the top 1% of the 1%. Yes, the richest people in the world, that 1%...

The siblings were born in an old aristocratic family that was connected to the British Royal Family but the Royals were as poor as beggars compared to the Fitzwilliams’. Harcourt had pursued a career in politics, making a name for himself in the Republican Party of the good old USA but everyone knew that the thing he enjoyed most was not squabbling with the rest of his colleagues over taxes or addressing the increasingly growing problem with the crime in the country… he simply enjoyed the chaos it all involved. Sure, according to the magazines he was a charismatic and caring man with power but Charlotte had gone out with him enough times to know what a pile of crap that was.

Harcourt was the scourge everyone thought of when they were thinking of the infamous 1% collective. To these people there was nothing that wasn’t permitted, it only depended on the price, and what couldn’t be bought, well… it could be ruined, there was no obstacle for money and Charlotte remembers perfectly well the moment she learned that lesson the hard way.

However, nature always provides balance, a downpour after devastating fires, a sunny day after weeks of rain… the status quo was always maintained and, in this case, thankfully, nature didn’t make an exception. To everything bad that Harcourt represented, his younger sister Isabella fought against it. Isabella Fitzwilliam was the recently appointed CEO of the most successful lawyer buffet in the country. If it had been up to her brother, she wouldn’t have had even a chair on her name but their late father had explicitly stated in his will that both, the firm and its assets went directly to her. Harcourt hadn’t taken the news very well but eventually, he decided that a pubic discussion with his sister would only put people against him, especially with the recent boom of movements empowering women.

There was an unspoken rule between the richest families, with excessive money came excessive problems as well and the Fitzwilliams’ weren’t the first siblings to be affected by the so-called “sibling rivalry” but the code of the family absolutely forbade them to fight in public. For the cameras and everyone reading the newspapers, they always stood united or respectfully disagreed with the other’s opinion but always, always displaying support to each other’s personas, at least on the outside. On the inside… everyone in the family knew that the siblings couldn’t spend half an hour without getting on each other’s throats. 

**_Ding!_ **

The metallic doors of the elevator opened to reveal a world hidden well above the gaze of the common folk that roamed the streets beneath.

Charlotte stepped directly onto the black marble tiles covering the entire second floor of the penthouse that overlooked Central Park. For the peerage inside this penthouse it might as well have been another parallel universe altogether, everyone here happily obliged with the only two rules of the Pleasure Gardens:

  1. All phones, cameras and recording devices were left at the door.
  2. All modest behavior was strongly _discouraged_.



The world elite was gathered on the highest floor of New York’s tallest building, no bodyguards, no paparazzi, certainly no parental control whatsoever and immense quantities of top-shelf alcohol… what was there not to like? Tonight, they were all free of morals and society norms, tonight they were free to bask in the decadent glow their pedigree provided them with.

The apartment was full of people dressed in period clothing but with a clear modern touch to their regalia. The ladies had stayed true to the corsets, long gowns, and rather suggestive U shaped necklines. The lowest jewelry quality in the room were the pearls around their necks and wrists and the white diamonds on the women’s earrings. Every single one of the women wore their hair up, that was one of the indicators that the night had just begun.

Massive chandeliers hanged from the ceiling and provided the room with more than enough light and it even got reflected in the gold stripes that were painted on the walls from the top to the bottom, were it not for the cold shadow grey, thicker, rectangular patterns that separated the gold strips the light would’ve been overwhelming.

There were even candles in strategic places where they wouldn't burn anyone or cause a fire.

The Weekend’s Starboy remix made the glasses vibrate and the people inside the room began moving against each other. One of the boys grabbed two blondes and the three of them moved swiftly to the dance floor where they began dancing seductively.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion, almost as if time was taking a break from its usual pace… Charlotte could see the rivulets of cigar smoke curling in the air, a couple of drops spilled from the overpoured champagne in the flute of one of the women in front of her… the golden specks inside the fuzzy drink falling all over her dress. The man behind her had put his hands around her and held her close to him… nuzzling the spot just behind her left ear and whispering something with a smirk.

The air inside the penthouse was heavy with Chanel and lust, it almost made Charlotte’s mind hazy and she hadn’t even touched the alcohol yet. It wasn’t even a full minute later when Charlotte sensed someone looking at her, she looked around the room, searching for the person in question but everyone around her was busy with holding their partners close and… dance. There were stairs on both sides of the second-floor foyer and below them there were even more people laughing and swaying to the beat.

Charlotte had just arrived and she was already getting flustered because she couldn’t find the one she was looking for. A pair of wolfish grey eyes found her amongst the crowd and the person began walking towards her with a smug expression on his face, his sandy blonde hair was longer than the last time she had seen him.

“Ah, Miss Wells… I was hoping you’d have the chance to grace us with your company tonight.” – Harcourt spoke after he invaded her personal space with an extra step, always meant to intimidate the other person but Charlotte Wells knew how to play that game (her ma’ had made sure of it).

“Harcourt, I almost didn’t recognize you with that new look, unfortunately, I can’t say that this style agrees with you.” – She said with a sweet voice and gave him one quick look over, slightly moving her head, disapproving.

“Hmm… if I remember correctly you quite liked having something to pull on.” – He said with an equally sweet, poisonous voice, reminding her of the time her mother’s escort firm had just begun dealing with the big fishes.

There it was, the one thing that would always make Charlotte stand apart from Harcourt and Isabella, she wasn’t of noble birth, she had made her money exploiting a blank space in the market of the most powerful people on Earth. Even though she wasn’t anywhere near the social standing of the Fitzwilliams, Charlotte had a quick mind and a sharp tongue that earned her a tough reputation among the elite.

“Don’t flatter yourself, you were never that fun.” – Charlotte smiled at him and she could see the anger bubbling inside him. He hated when someone confronted and openly defied him and usually the only person for whom that look of annoyance mixed with anger was saved for was his sister, but tonight Charlotte found herself among the “lucky” ones.

“Brother… tonight is for pleasure not fighting.” – A sweet but adamant voice invaded Charlotte’s ears from behind her and she felt a pair of hands sneak around her waist and her nose detected the familiar scent she was craving to surround herself with tonight. Notes of creamy sandalwood, warm clove, Sicilian mandarin, and neroli tickled her senses and she barely felt the impulse with which Isabella turned her to face each other.

Her hair was gathered elegantly with a bunch of pearl hairpins and only a lone curl cascaded down her neck, right down the spots Charlotte most enjoyed kissing and sucking. Charlotte was so close to Isabelle that she could just stand on her toes and kiss her lips but she knew that putting a show for Harcourt wasn’t the best plan of action for them.

“Izzy, Izzy, you still haven’t learned about that thin, _blurry_ line that separates those two things?” – He said patronizingly.

“Then don’t waste time with such uneducated females like us, after all, what would a woman know of the world apart from shopping and makeup?” – She shot back but this time the undertone of “you don’t want to mess with me, least of all here and now” was clear in her syrupy voice even if part of her did challenge him to disagree with something he had claimed multiple times before.

A waiter, carrying a full tray of champagne flutes with 1820 Juglar Cuvee, passed beside them and Isabella took two glasses from him and handed one to Charlotte. The bubbly was exquisite and chilled, it made its way down her throat and she could feel the bubbles filling her up with a pleasant buzz.

Charlotte lost all her speech abilities when she looked at Isabella’s eyes as she lowered her own glass, those topaz blues enamored her from the first time they crossed paths so many months ago.

“Welcome to the Pleasure Gardens, my dear.” – Isabella spoke with a deep voice and a wide smile, completely ignoring her brother standing just behind Charlotte.

The beginning of Beyoncé’s Partition began playing from the speakers all over the room and the bass covered Charlotte’s skin in goosebumps, the peerage around her all cheered at the DJ’s selection and began grinding against each other with the rhythm lulling their bodies.

“Come on, let’s dance!” – Charlotte grabbed Isabella by the hand and dragged her to the other side of the room, near the balcony doors and far away from the now huffing Harcourt.

**…See me up in the club with fifty-eleven girls** **  
Posted in the back, diamond fangs in my grill…**

The bass was smooth and it was hypnotizing to see Isabella move in her dress, the rich green corset was laced with bold gold accents that moved from the U of her neckline all the way down to the bottom of her dress. Charlotte couldn’t stop herself from putting both hands on Isabella’s waist, she looked breathtakingly beautiful dressed like that and pulled her closer so that their lips could finally touch.

Kissing Isabella was like lounging on a sunny beach in the summer, it was addicting and always left Charlotte with desire for more. Remembering how long it took for her to convince the older woman that she didn’t care about the ten-year difference between them, Charlotte made it her mission to show her love to Isabella with each kiss, each touch, and each gaze as well. Right beside them a woman dressed in yellow, that complimented perfectly her olive skin tone, was pouring champagne into one of Harcout’s friends’ mouth while the others cheered on him, but for Isabella and Charlotte, nothing beside them existed.

“You look breathtaking tonight.” – Charlotte said as they separated and began grinding to the beat.

Isabella still blushed like a schoolgirl when the girl complimented her with such a dazzling wonder in her eyes, Charlotte always made Isabella feel like a queen, especially when they were in the bedroom and she worshiped every inch of her skin.

“I’m glad you like it, but in all honesty, the corset is a bitch to wear.” – Isabella laughed.

“I agree, but the view it provides is… unique.” – Charlotte said as she looked directly at her cleavage, making Isabella gasp.

“Such forwardness, Miss Wells!” – Isabella feigned surprised.

Charlotte grinned and turned Isabella with her back against her, their hands were bare from the elbows down and the touch of wandering fingers made Isabella shiver. She could feel Charlotte’s body behind her, holding her and directing her movements with the music, that moment would forever be itched into Isabella’s memory.

“I must admit though, red certainly is your color.” – Isabella said as she looked Charlotte up and down. The older Wells stood in front of her, dressed in a rich cherry red dress, imitating the fashion of the mid-1800s, a long pearl necklace wrapped once around her neck and a cocky smirk on her face that could easily start wars. She had always been confident in her body but having Isabella look at her like _that_ , made her heart double its beating pace.

Before Charlotte came into Isabella’s life, she enjoyed these parties for an hour or two at most, mainly just to piss off Harcourt and went home to the cases she was working on at that moment but now… now she actually understood the appeal of it all and savored the moment. 

Moving her hands to the sides of Isabella’s tights made Charlotte yearn for more, there was too much fabric between them that prevented her from enjoying Isabella’s form and the moan that escaped Isabella when Charlotte bit her ear playfully didn’t help with the lust traveling through Charlotte’s body.

Sensing the growing frustration in her lover’s touch, the older woman turned to Charlotte and kissed her passionately. Up to this point, they had been teasing each other restlessly, with all the lingering touches, the murmured words, with all the heated looks… they each wanted to see when the other would snap first.

Charlotte pushed Isabella to the balcony door behind her and deepened their kiss, moving her hands up to thread her hair with her fingers, she had to be careful though because Isabella’s hair just like hers was full of hairpins that were holding it up.

Tonight, was the only night their public make-out session could go completely ignored by the rest of the peers in the room, truth be told, they were each preoccupied with their own partners to care about Isabella. Charlotte’s heart was beating fast and she finally broke her resolve when Isabella bit gently on her lower lip, teasing her.

Pressing her body even closer to Isabella, Charlotte could swear her heart was beating with the rhythm that engulfed the penthouse and entranced everybody to move. Suddenly, an idea popped into Charlotte’s mind and she backed away from the kiss, leaving Isabella panting. Isabella’s room would be almost impossible to reach now and casting a quick glance towards the bathroom, Charlotte didn’t even manage to voice her words as Isabella began laughing.

“Do you _really_ think that the bathroom will be free on the night of the “Pleasure Gardens” celebration?” – She asked laughing and moved into Charlotte’s personal space without touching her.

“You are such a tease tonight.” - Charlotte said and saw the woman in front of her smile, that smile was dangerous.

“Hmm, teasing would’ve been if I did that.” – Isabella said, her lips almost touching the shell of Charlotte’s ear but before she got carried away, she spun gently the smaller woman to face the window and put her hand on the glass.

The contrast between the cold glass and the burning atmosphere in the room made a shiver run through Charlotte’s body. She could feel Isabella kissing the side of her neck while her hands roamed up and down her torso, slowly sliding up her bodice and finding the exposed top of her breasts. Fluffy clouds were beginning to form up above them and Charlotte loved the way Isabella gripped her hips and began guiding them to the music. It was such a deliciously frustrating moment.

“I want to take you to my room and make you mine… I want to undress you slowly and kiss every inch of your skin.” – Isabella said with a nectar sweet voice, far huskier than her usual timber though and Charlotte recognized that particular tone. Isabella was as flustered as she was at this party, so it was time to get out of here.

“Are you going to make me beg then?” – Charlotte said with a smirk as she turned around, daring Isabella, testing her tonight. At first Isabella had been too scared to even kiss Charlotte passionately, maybe because of her own past, she always made sure to ask if Charlotte was okay with what was happening between them and it even flustered Charlotte at times how much Isabella was holding back with her.

Seeing the passion burning behind those topaz blues and yet sensing the extraordinary self-control Isabella was trying to hold over her emotions had made Charlotte want to push those walls down so badly but… she knew Isabella needed her time so instead of pushing, she waited and made sure to tell her just how much she wanted the older woman.

Little did she know, her words were just as persuasive as her kisses and slowly Isabella began loosening up, taking the lead more often and to Charlotte’s very pleasurable surprise, even give a couple of orders behind closed doors.

Now, Isabella was even more assertive in her work and that was one of the factors that enraged her brother even more. As the boy of an old-fashioned family, Harcourt was used to getting everything and suddenly his sweet little sister turned into a highly respected professional woman on her own and because of her natural charisma, Isabella was getting even more attention than him lately.

“Perhaps…” – Isabella said while looking at Charlotte’s red lipstick that was slightly smudged now and Charlotte leaned in for another kiss.

This time the younger woman’s tongue slipped passed Isabella’s lips as soon as they kissed but Charlotte broke it off abruptly.

“Please, my lady.” – She said and snaked her arm slowly around Isabella’s waist, pulling their hips closer.

Isabella had learned how to play that game, she had learned how to control the passion with Charlotte but those words broke her resolve to pieces and she caved to her desires. Taking Charlotte’s hand in hers with a suddenly shy smile, Isabella began making her way across the crowd. The people dancing around them were grinding against each other, kissing their partners and some of the women were even dancing just in their underpants and corset.

The long hallway that separated the living room area from the private rooms of the Fitzwilliams was filled with expensive art hanging on the walls and there were even a couple of vases with black and white calla flowers mixed indigo irises. Isabella loved flowers, but their strong scents gave her migraines so the calla lilies proved to be the perfect option. The whole arrangement was elegant, regal and had a hint of nobility, just like Isabella herself. When Isabella stopped to open the door of her room, Charlotte took her hand and their lips found each other again, she couldn’t hold back anymore, crossing that sea of people flustered Charlotte and now she happily had her hands wrapped around Isabella’s neck once again. Her fingers threaded into the other woman’s hair and began undoing it, one pin at a time.

“You are a dangerous distraction tonight Miss Wells.” – Isabella said as she kissed her.

“I’ll behave for exactly three more seconds, then I don’t care who might come upon us.” – Charlotte laughed but backed away so Izzy could open the door.

Once they were both into the room, Isabella turned and locked the door of her room, suddenly feeling more excited than before.

Isabella’s room smelled of green apples and vanilla, the walls were thumping from the music at the party but its volume was significantly lower, the pair could even hear their whispers now. The fog that was beginning to descend upon the city earlier had already isolated them in a private bubble, apart from the prying eyes of the world. With the locked door, the party could as well have been on the floors under them and even though the light of the full moon was now significantly dampened, Charlotte could see where the bed was.

Isabella’s room was Charlotte’s favorite place, apart from the obvious reasons, it was decorated by Isabella herself and each time Charlotte came here she felt at peace from the serene atmosphere. The walls were painted in emerald green, which tonight matched her dress perfectly and the biggest furniture in there was the bed and the closet. The white marble floor was covered almost entirely with a fern green rug with golden contoured triangles on it. There were several floor lamps with golden tubes and champagne shades along the walls as well, they provided a more intimate feeling than the massive golden chandelier above them.

One of the things that Charlotte liked the most was that there was no TV in this room, instead, Isabella had the entire wall in front of her bed built with shelves filled with books, most of them were classics but there were a few more… erotic ones, if you knew where to look.

On the wall, just in front of the room door hung a massive realistic painting of a peacock feather, with luscious blues and greens, somehow this room with high ceilings managed to look both luxurious and delicate.

“Turn around.” – Charlotte said into the kiss and stepped back to give Isabella the chance to do as she told her.

These dresses were beautiful and even though they weren’t as heavy as the real ones would have been, they were still pretty hefty to wear. Charlotte grabbed the laces of Isabella’s corset and undid them carefully, all the passion from earlier was put at holt for this.

Slowly undoing the corset, exposing one inch of porcelain skin at a time felt like unwrapping a gift. Once the last notch was undone, Charlotte threw the corset across the room, not caring in the slightest where it landed and dragged her fingertips across Isabella’s back. Scratching softly along the way, she trailed her fingers around the older woman’s abdomen, up to her ribcage and then delicately cupping her breasts and reveling in the sight that escaped Isabella’s lips.

Charlotte could feel the hard nipples under her palms and squeezed both breasts gently, making Isabella throw her head back and expose her neck. Charlotte began kissing her from behind and when she reached the place where the shoulders began, she bit down lightly.

“Charlotte, please stop teasing.” – Isabella felt like she’d combust from the pent-up desire in her.

“Oh, how the tables have turned…” – She laughed and this time she was the one that moved to stand in front of Isabella.

Standing before her, only half-dressed with completely smeared lipstick and raven hair halfway down, Charlotte was left speechless from that much beauty.

“You look like a goddess…” – She managed to say and Isabella fully blushed this time, it always baffled her how sincere Charlotte could be, especially in moments such as this one.

“Shame I can’t get you out of that corset of yours with only a wave of my hand.” – Isabelle chuckled.

“Use your fingers then, my lady, I know you _know_ how to use those.” – She winked at her and turned her back towards the taller woman.

Isabella quickly undid the laces, her fingers treading as if she did that same action every day and let Charlotte’s corset fall on the floor. Both women undid their own skirts and felt all the weight shedding off their bodies, thinking of the comfort that pants provided and how overly underestimated it was.

The expensive materials pooled around their legs but neither could care less about it at the moment. Charlotte took a step closer and brought their lips together again, feeling Isabella’s naked form pressed tightly to her was more intoxicating than all the Juglar Cuvee she had had. 

Moving slowly backward, Charlotte felt the bed behind her and she lowered them to the mattress without separating their lips for a second. Isabella’s hand was holding her ass and she moved her to trail up Charlotte’s thigh until she dragged her fingertips even higher and right between her legs and as she moved them again, Charlotte’s sharp intake of breath caught Isabella’s attention and the smile that followed on her lover’s face was even more precious than all the gold and diamonds in the world.


End file.
